Fic: I'm yours to keep (if you want to)
Title: I'm yours to keep (if you want to)
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: R/NC-17
Wordcount: 2830
Summary: There were some magical creatures that Uther could not kill but what was to become of them? What was to become of an Emrys in Camelot?
Author's Notes: I should be working on my big bang fic but this demanded to be written. Title is courtesy of the lovely chaosmaka.
I'm yours to keep (if you want to)
Arthur could remember the day they brought the strange man into Camelot. He was discussing border disputes with his father in the council chambers. They had several attacks by Odin in recent weeks. Gaius was giving a report on the injuries some villagers had suffered when the guards interrupted.
“We have a prisoner, my lord,” Sir Caradog announced as the guards dragged a young man. He was little more than a boy, Arthur's age.
He was wearing tattered clothes and was muddy. He looked tired, as if he had been struggling for awhile and, judging from the looks on the faces of the guards, it had been quite a struggle. Even the well trained knights looked worse for wear.
“We found him in the woods when we patrolled there this morning,” Sir Caradog continued. “He has magic.”
“Then he will be executed according to the laws of Camelot,” Uther said.
Even as the king spoke the strange man drew Arthur's gaze. There was something different about this one. Arthur had seen many sorcerers brought before the king but none had looked at him this way before. Their eyes met and Arthur couldn't help but look into the blue eyes that seemed to be staring into his soul.
“I don't think that will be possible, Sire,” Gaius said, speaking up. “I recognise him. He is an Emrys and they are immortal.”
There was nothing about him that suggested immortality. He was skinny and looked pretty fragile to Arthur's mind, although that gaze was unsettling. It was clear the king didn't believe the court physician.
“Nonsense, he will be executed forthwith.”
It was only after the axe shattered upon hitting the man's neck and after the flames refused to burn him that Uther had to concede Gaius was right. This was a creature of magic that couldn't be destroyed.
“Send him to the dungeons,” Uther ordered. “And restrain him appropriately.”
The Emrys was to be incarcerated forever. As he was dragged away Arthur was sure he would hear a voice in his head calling him. It was a voice that sounded sad. He closed his eyes and when he opened them the Emrys was gone.
For the next three nights he heard the same voice in his head, calling to him. It was as clear as if someone was whispering in his ear. It gave him shivers and he couldn't sleep for tossing and turning. After three nights he couldn't take it any more and set off to find the source.
He wandered through the castle, safely able to avoid the guards, and made his way down toward the dungeons. The closer he got the louder the voice seemed to be. He lit a torch and went down to the lower cells. His heart beat in anticipation for at the moment there was only prisoner kept in them.
As Arthur stepped in front of the cell that held the Emrys, bound in chains that would not allow him to escape, he knew he had found the source. The Emrys smiled and in the strange flickering light of the torch, he looked quite magical.
“Hello, Arthur,” he said.
Arthur was taken aback. Was this creature trying to cast a spell on him? “So, you can talk then?” he said, not betraying any of his nervousness.
“Of course I can talk,” the Emrys said, looking offended.
“Then why didn't you say something to my father?” Arthur asked. The Emrys hadn't spoken at all when he was in front of the king. “Tell him what you are.”
“Nothing I could say would change your father's mind,” he replied.
He was right. Hatred of magic was so ingrained in the king no mere words would ever break it.
The Emrys came closer to the bars that separated the two of them, the chains allowing him to get to the cell door. “I'm Merlin,” he said, looking into Arthur's eyes again. Maybe it was magic but Arthur felt no malice, no evil from the Emrys.
“I would introduce myself but you already know my name,” Arthur replied.
Merlin smiled. “Yes. Arthur Pendragon.”
After that every night he could he went down to see Merlin. He didn't know if Merlin was calling him, whether it was magic, but he did know he couldn't ignore it. All his life he had seen his father kill anything related to magic yet he couldn't kill Merlin, maybe there was a reason for that.
Most nights they talked. For the first few Arthur asked Merlin all kinds of questions; about what he was, where he came from.
“How old are you?” Arthur asked.
Merlin shrugged. “I don't know.”
“Don't you have a birthday?” Arthur asked.
“No,” Merlin admitted. “Only humans have birthdays.”
Sometimes Arthur forgot that Merlin wasn't human. It was so easy to do. Merlin looked human, with his smile and his enthusiasm for their talks. It was only when Arthur looked into Merlin's eyes that he saw that other worldliness, that strangeness that marked him out as something different.
“Why did you come so close to Camelot?” Arthur asked him.
“For you,” Merlin said. “One day you will be a great king.”
That was all Merlin would say about it. For someone who wasn't good at lying Arthur discovered Merlin was good at simply evading the question. He hoped one day Merlin would trust him enough to tell him everything.
Sometimes they didn't talk. Sometimes they would play games. Arthur brought a couple of dice down and they spent hours playing with them, seeing who could get the highest scores. It wasn't a very sophisticated game but there was skill in dice rolling. After winning his third game that night Arthur was triumphant.
“Why don't you use magic?” he asked Merlin.
“I can't,” came the reply.”
It was then that Arthur realised that the delicate silver and gold collar, etched with odd markings, that lay around Merlin's neck was not used to restrain him physically but had a quite different purpose.
“I'm sorry,” Arthur said, not meeting Merlin's gaze but staring at the dice.
“It wasn't your order,” Merlin replied.
Still, Arthur couldn't help but feel guilty. Maybe that was why he came to visit Merlin so often. He couldn't help it though. He needed to talk to Merlin. He never judged Arthur, he had a faith in Arthur he had never experienced before and it was addictive. Of course it would need to be repaid.
Several months later a griffin attacked Camelot. Many people were killed and Arthur's weapons were useless against it. His lance was shattered and his sword broken into several pieces. Despite several failed attempts his father was convinced that Arthur and his knights could kill it.
“It is a creature of magic, Sire,” Gaius said. “Only magic can kill it.”
Arthur knew this was true. He had seen for himself that normal weapons had no effect it his father would not hear of it.
“Nonsense,” Uther said. “Arthur will kill it.”
It was strange to go down to the dungeons in the daytime but that's what Arthur did. He headed straight for the cell he often visited and without any greeting he asked the question.
“Can you help me kill the griffin?” Arthur asked.
Merlin nodded. “Yes.”
Arthur didn't hesitate. He unlocked the cell and removed the chains that bound Merlin. That left the collar. He wasn't sure how to get it off. There was no lock that Arthur could see.
“Touch it,” Merlin said. “At the back.”
Arthur put his hand on the back, feeling a ridge there. He was aware of being so close to Merlin he could feel something crackling in the air. Merlin had his eyes closed and he seemed to be concentrating deeply, whispering some strange words Arthur didn't recognise. The collar began to glow brightly. Arthur was worried about what it meant but he didn't remove his hand.
The collar felt warm under his hand, almost burning, but Arthur didn't stop touching it. Then the glow began to die down and it faded to nothing as the metal cooled under Arthur's fingers. The collar was still fastened around Merlin's neck.
“You can't remove it?” Arthur asked.
“I don't have to,” Merlin replied. “I can do magic as long as you wish it.”
“I wish it,” Arthur said.
They waited until it was dark to sneak out of the castle. Arthur saddled them both a horse, although he had no idea if Merlin could ride. Fortunately he could, although he didn't seem to need to use the reins to guide the horse. They went out into the darkness to meet the griffin, Arthur carrying his lance.
They heard it before they saw it; a loud piercing cry in the darkness. Arthur should have been afraid but he wasn't. He could feel Merlin there with him and was reassured. The griffin landed on the path in front on them.
“Ready?” Arthur asked.
Merlin nodded. “Yes.”
Arthur lowered his lance and rode at full gallop to where the griffin lay waiting. He could feel something in the air and he hoped Merlin would do whatever he had before he and the griffin collided. The griffin itself was coming toward him at quite a speed.
Arthur kept his eyes on his lance. Suddenly it flashed and lit up with a bright blue light. Arthur knew the cause of the light was Merlin. He aimed his lance carefully as the griffin leapt as if to make a strike. The lance hit the griffin straight and true and it tumbled past Arthur in a flash of blue light.
He rode on before turning and looking at the smouldering body of the griffin lying on the ground, defeated. Further back Merlin was stood, smiling and laughing.
“You did it!” Merlin called.
“No, we did it!” Arthur yelled back.
Uther was less than understanding of Arthur's course of action. When he found out he was furious and ordered Arthur and Merlin before him.
“You freed a known magical creature, Arthur. You could have killed us all.”
“Father, I needed Merlin's help to kill the griffin and it worked. Without him I would likely be dead.”
Merlin stayed silent.
“He is magical. Clearly he has enchanted you.”
Arthur shook his head. “No, father, he has not.”
Gaius spoke up. “He is still wearing the restraint, my lord.”
“A restraint that obviously doesn't work!” Uther replied, raising his voice.
“It works,” Arthur replied. “Merlin can only use his magic if I wish it.”
Uther turned and glared at Arthur. “What?”
Arthur was about to speak but Merlin stepped forward. “I have bound myself to your son,” he said quietly. “I serve Arthur. My magic is bound to his wishes.”
“Not possible,” Uther said.
“My lord, in times past a king would use an Emrys as a magical servant. There are stories...”
“Stories?!” Uther stalked over to Gaius. “Are you saying this...this creature has done something to Arthur?”
Gaius shook his head. “No, Sire. He has chosen Arthur. He won't harm him.”
“If you do,” Uther said, addressing Merlin. “I will find a way to kill you. Do you understand?”
Merlin nodded. “Yes, my lord.”
There were more discussions on the matter but Uther had little choice but to accept what Merlin said as the truth. Time and again he saved Arthur's life or helped him defeat a threat to Camelot. Still the king insisted Merlin be kept in the dungeon where he could do no harm. He knew that Arthur visited him and Arthur knew his father knew but they did not speak of it. It was better for some things to remain unspoken.
One night after he and Merlin had defeated the questing beast Arthur did not send Merlin back to the dungeons. Instead he brought him back with him to his chambers. His feelings were Merlin were something he barely admitted to himself but he could no longer deny them. He couldn't see Merlin sent back to suffer in the dungeons.
Merlin seemed to be glowing in the firelight and Arthur stepped close to him. He touched Merlin's collar with his fingertips before gently placing a kiss on Merlin's lips. The response was immediate and it seemed as if the room filled with energy as Merlin put his arms around Arthur and kissed him back.
Their kisses grew urgent and desperate, a connection being made between them. Arthur wished they were naked in bed and moments later they were. For a moment, with the feel of Merlin's lips on his own he had forgotten his potential lover wasn't human.
They were too full of something; magic, energy, or whatever it was rushing through Arthur's veins, to be slow and careful. It was a quick yet intense experience and Merlin lay beneath Arthur and Arthur rocked against him. They whispered each others names like a spell, magic weaving between them.
When Merlin came his eyes were bright gold and Arthur knew they would be reflected in his own. They snuggled together and Arthur felt warm and content.
“So you do sleep?” Arthur asked next morning as they awoke together.
“When I get tired out by princes,” Merlin replied.
Arthur laughed.
After that Merlin spent less time in the dungeons and more times in Arthur's chambers. They talked, ate and slept together. Sometimes they used the bed for things other than sleeping. They tried to be as careful as possible but inevitably the king found out and his anger was felt throughout the castle.
“How could you be so stupid?” Uther bellowed. “He is a creature of magic, Arthur, he is not even human!”
“He's saved my life,” Arthur replied.
“He is a tool, nothing more. The only reason that Emrys is still here is because he cannot be killed, remember that!”
Arthur did remember that. Whilst Merlin slept in his arms Arthur remembered that it could have been so different. That Merlin could be nothing more than a charred corpse and a name on the list of his father's victims.
Uther sent Merlin back to the dungeons and confined Arthur to his chambers. That night though the very walls of Camelot shook and the sound of weeping was heard. Arthur never knew what else happened but the next morning his father looked weary, as if he had fought a great battle.
“Your Emrys does not have to stay in the dungeons,” he said, when he came into Arthur's chambers. “And you are free to go about your duties. Just remember what I said.”
“Yes, father.”
That night Arthur brought Merlin out of the dungeons to his rightful place in Arthur's chambers. The door had barely closed before Arthur grabbed him and the two celebrated their reunion. As Arthur moved in and out of Merlin's body, feeling privileged enough to be allowed to do this with him, he realised how he felt about this magical creature. He didn't whisper words of love but thought them and he knew Merlin heard him.
“Have you ever done this with anyone else?” Arthur asked, when they lay together afterwards.
“Only with you,” Merlin replied. He nuzzled Arthur gently. “My king.”
Arthur wasn't king for many more years. Eventually Uther grew old and weak and his time began to end. A subtle shift in power had occurred long before Uther even died. It was Arthur who led the knights out to fight. It was Arthur who saved villages and he did so with Merlin at his side. There was nothing Uther could do.
Still it hurt Arthur when the end finally came. Uther died peacefully in his sleep with Arthur by his bedside. Uther died a shadow of the man he used to be, leaving a legacy that Arthur began to change as the last breath left his father's body. The ban on magic was lifted the same moment as the announcement was made that that Arthur was the new king.
The night after his coronation Arthur was in his chambers with Merlin, who had been a solid support through a difficult time. Despite the fact the king would have him killed Merlin had harboured the king no malice. He knew how much his father meant to Arthur. Arthur didn't know what he would have done without him.
“I can have this removed now you know,” Arthur said, running a finger across Merlin's collar before kissing him.
Merlin shook his head. “I'm still yours,” he said.
“And I am yours,” Arthur replied. “I think I always have been.”
Merlin nodded. “We have always belonged to each other.”
That night magic began to return to the kingdom of Camelot and the stars began to shine more brightly. Across the land magic was waking up and joy was returning to dark places that had been without it so long. Yet magic was strongest in the king's chambers and in the hearts of the king and his Emrys.
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: R/NC-17
Wordcount: 2830
Summary: There were some magical creatures that Uther could not kill but what was to become of them? What was to become of an Emrys in Camelot?
Author's Notes: I should be working on my big bang fic but this demanded to be written. Title is courtesy of the lovely chaosmaka.
I'm yours to keep (if you want to)
Arthur could remember the day they brought the strange man into Camelot. He was discussing border disputes with his father in the council chambers. They had several attacks by Odin in recent weeks. Gaius was giving a report on the injuries some villagers had suffered when the guards interrupted.
“We have a prisoner, my lord,” Sir Caradog announced as the guards dragged a young man. He was little more than a boy, Arthur's age.
He was wearing tattered clothes and was muddy. He looked tired, as if he had been struggling for awhile and, judging from the looks on the faces of the guards, it had been quite a struggle. Even the well trained knights looked worse for wear.
“We found him in the woods when we patrolled there this morning,” Sir Caradog continued. “He has magic.”
“Then he will be executed according to the laws of Camelot,” Uther said.
Even as the king spoke the strange man drew Arthur's gaze. There was something different about this one. Arthur had seen many sorcerers brought before the king but none had looked at him this way before. Their eyes met and Arthur couldn't help but look into the blue eyes that seemed to be staring into his soul.
“I don't think that will be possible, Sire,” Gaius said, speaking up. “I recognise him. He is an Emrys and they are immortal.”
There was nothing about him that suggested immortality. He was skinny and looked pretty fragile to Arthur's mind, although that gaze was unsettling. It was clear the king didn't believe the court physician.
“Nonsense, he will be executed forthwith.”
It was only after the axe shattered upon hitting the man's neck and after the flames refused to burn him that Uther had to concede Gaius was right. This was a creature of magic that couldn't be destroyed.
“Send him to the dungeons,” Uther ordered. “And restrain him appropriately.”
The Emrys was to be incarcerated forever. As he was dragged away Arthur was sure he would hear a voice in his head calling him. It was a voice that sounded sad. He closed his eyes and when he opened them the Emrys was gone.
For the next three nights he heard the same voice in his head, calling to him. It was as clear as if someone was whispering in his ear. It gave him shivers and he couldn't sleep for tossing and turning. After three nights he couldn't take it any more and set off to find the source.
He wandered through the castle, safely able to avoid the guards, and made his way down toward the dungeons. The closer he got the louder the voice seemed to be. He lit a torch and went down to the lower cells. His heart beat in anticipation for at the moment there was only prisoner kept in them.
As Arthur stepped in front of the cell that held the Emrys, bound in chains that would not allow him to escape, he knew he had found the source. The Emrys smiled and in the strange flickering light of the torch, he looked quite magical.
“Hello, Arthur,” he said.
Arthur was taken aback. Was this creature trying to cast a spell on him? “So, you can talk then?” he said, not betraying any of his nervousness.
“Of course I can talk,” the Emrys said, looking offended.
“Then why didn't you say something to my father?” Arthur asked. The Emrys hadn't spoken at all when he was in front of the king. “Tell him what you are.”
“Nothing I could say would change your father's mind,” he replied.
He was right. Hatred of magic was so ingrained in the king no mere words would ever break it.
The Emrys came closer to the bars that separated the two of them, the chains allowing him to get to the cell door. “I'm Merlin,” he said, looking into Arthur's eyes again. Maybe it was magic but Arthur felt no malice, no evil from the Emrys.
“I would introduce myself but you already know my name,” Arthur replied.
Merlin smiled. “Yes. Arthur Pendragon.”
After that every night he could he went down to see Merlin. He didn't know if Merlin was calling him, whether it was magic, but he did know he couldn't ignore it. All his life he had seen his father kill anything related to magic yet he couldn't kill Merlin, maybe there was a reason for that.
Most nights they talked. For the first few Arthur asked Merlin all kinds of questions; about what he was, where he came from.
“How old are you?” Arthur asked.
Merlin shrugged. “I don't know.”
“Don't you have a birthday?” Arthur asked.
“No,” Merlin admitted. “Only humans have birthdays.”
Sometimes Arthur forgot that Merlin wasn't human. It was so easy to do. Merlin looked human, with his smile and his enthusiasm for their talks. It was only when Arthur looked into Merlin's eyes that he saw that other worldliness, that strangeness that marked him out as something different.
“Why did you come so close to Camelot?” Arthur asked him.
“For you,” Merlin said. “One day you will be a great king.”
That was all Merlin would say about it. For someone who wasn't good at lying Arthur discovered Merlin was good at simply evading the question. He hoped one day Merlin would trust him enough to tell him everything.
Sometimes they didn't talk. Sometimes they would play games. Arthur brought a couple of dice down and they spent hours playing with them, seeing who could get the highest scores. It wasn't a very sophisticated game but there was skill in dice rolling. After winning his third game that night Arthur was triumphant.
“Why don't you use magic?” he asked Merlin.
“I can't,” came the reply.”
It was then that Arthur realised that the delicate silver and gold collar, etched with odd markings, that lay around Merlin's neck was not used to restrain him physically but had a quite different purpose.
“I'm sorry,” Arthur said, not meeting Merlin's gaze but staring at the dice.
“It wasn't your order,” Merlin replied.
Still, Arthur couldn't help but feel guilty. Maybe that was why he came to visit Merlin so often. He couldn't help it though. He needed to talk to Merlin. He never judged Arthur, he had a faith in Arthur he had never experienced before and it was addictive. Of course it would need to be repaid.
Several months later a griffin attacked Camelot. Many people were killed and Arthur's weapons were useless against it. His lance was shattered and his sword broken into several pieces. Despite several failed attempts his father was convinced that Arthur and his knights could kill it.
“It is a creature of magic, Sire,” Gaius said. “Only magic can kill it.”
Arthur knew this was true. He had seen for himself that normal weapons had no effect it his father would not hear of it.
“Nonsense,” Uther said. “Arthur will kill it.”
It was strange to go down to the dungeons in the daytime but that's what Arthur did. He headed straight for the cell he often visited and without any greeting he asked the question.
“Can you help me kill the griffin?” Arthur asked.
Merlin nodded. “Yes.”
Arthur didn't hesitate. He unlocked the cell and removed the chains that bound Merlin. That left the collar. He wasn't sure how to get it off. There was no lock that Arthur could see.
“Touch it,” Merlin said. “At the back.”
Arthur put his hand on the back, feeling a ridge there. He was aware of being so close to Merlin he could feel something crackling in the air. Merlin had his eyes closed and he seemed to be concentrating deeply, whispering some strange words Arthur didn't recognise. The collar began to glow brightly. Arthur was worried about what it meant but he didn't remove his hand.
The collar felt warm under his hand, almost burning, but Arthur didn't stop touching it. Then the glow began to die down and it faded to nothing as the metal cooled under Arthur's fingers. The collar was still fastened around Merlin's neck.
“You can't remove it?” Arthur asked.
“I don't have to,” Merlin replied. “I can do magic as long as you wish it.”
“I wish it,” Arthur said.
They waited until it was dark to sneak out of the castle. Arthur saddled them both a horse, although he had no idea if Merlin could ride. Fortunately he could, although he didn't seem to need to use the reins to guide the horse. They went out into the darkness to meet the griffin, Arthur carrying his lance.
They heard it before they saw it; a loud piercing cry in the darkness. Arthur should have been afraid but he wasn't. He could feel Merlin there with him and was reassured. The griffin landed on the path in front on them.
“Ready?” Arthur asked.
Merlin nodded. “Yes.”
Arthur lowered his lance and rode at full gallop to where the griffin lay waiting. He could feel something in the air and he hoped Merlin would do whatever he had before he and the griffin collided. The griffin itself was coming toward him at quite a speed.
Arthur kept his eyes on his lance. Suddenly it flashed and lit up with a bright blue light. Arthur knew the cause of the light was Merlin. He aimed his lance carefully as the griffin leapt as if to make a strike. The lance hit the griffin straight and true and it tumbled past Arthur in a flash of blue light.
He rode on before turning and looking at the smouldering body of the griffin lying on the ground, defeated. Further back Merlin was stood, smiling and laughing.
“You did it!” Merlin called.
“No, we did it!” Arthur yelled back.
Uther was less than understanding of Arthur's course of action. When he found out he was furious and ordered Arthur and Merlin before him.
“You freed a known magical creature, Arthur. You could have killed us all.”
“Father, I needed Merlin's help to kill the griffin and it worked. Without him I would likely be dead.”
Merlin stayed silent.
“He is magical. Clearly he has enchanted you.”
Arthur shook his head. “No, father, he has not.”
Gaius spoke up. “He is still wearing the restraint, my lord.”
“A restraint that obviously doesn't work!” Uther replied, raising his voice.
“It works,” Arthur replied. “Merlin can only use his magic if I wish it.”
Uther turned and glared at Arthur. “What?”
Arthur was about to speak but Merlin stepped forward. “I have bound myself to your son,” he said quietly. “I serve Arthur. My magic is bound to his wishes.”
“Not possible,” Uther said.
“My lord, in times past a king would use an Emrys as a magical servant. There are stories...”
“Stories?!” Uther stalked over to Gaius. “Are you saying this...this creature has done something to Arthur?”
Gaius shook his head. “No, Sire. He has chosen Arthur. He won't harm him.”
“If you do,” Uther said, addressing Merlin. “I will find a way to kill you. Do you understand?”
Merlin nodded. “Yes, my lord.”
There were more discussions on the matter but Uther had little choice but to accept what Merlin said as the truth. Time and again he saved Arthur's life or helped him defeat a threat to Camelot. Still the king insisted Merlin be kept in the dungeon where he could do no harm. He knew that Arthur visited him and Arthur knew his father knew but they did not speak of it. It was better for some things to remain unspoken.
One night after he and Merlin had defeated the questing beast Arthur did not send Merlin back to the dungeons. Instead he brought him back with him to his chambers. His feelings were Merlin were something he barely admitted to himself but he could no longer deny them. He couldn't see Merlin sent back to suffer in the dungeons.
Merlin seemed to be glowing in the firelight and Arthur stepped close to him. He touched Merlin's collar with his fingertips before gently placing a kiss on Merlin's lips. The response was immediate and it seemed as if the room filled with energy as Merlin put his arms around Arthur and kissed him back.
Their kisses grew urgent and desperate, a connection being made between them. Arthur wished they were naked in bed and moments later they were. For a moment, with the feel of Merlin's lips on his own he had forgotten his potential lover wasn't human.
They were too full of something; magic, energy, or whatever it was rushing through Arthur's veins, to be slow and careful. It was a quick yet intense experience and Merlin lay beneath Arthur and Arthur rocked against him. They whispered each others names like a spell, magic weaving between them.
When Merlin came his eyes were bright gold and Arthur knew they would be reflected in his own. They snuggled together and Arthur felt warm and content.
“So you do sleep?” Arthur asked next morning as they awoke together.
“When I get tired out by princes,” Merlin replied.
Arthur laughed.
After that Merlin spent less time in the dungeons and more times in Arthur's chambers. They talked, ate and slept together. Sometimes they used the bed for things other than sleeping. They tried to be as careful as possible but inevitably the king found out and his anger was felt throughout the castle.
“How could you be so stupid?” Uther bellowed. “He is a creature of magic, Arthur, he is not even human!”
“He's saved my life,” Arthur replied.
“He is a tool, nothing more. The only reason that Emrys is still here is because he cannot be killed, remember that!”
Arthur did remember that. Whilst Merlin slept in his arms Arthur remembered that it could have been so different. That Merlin could be nothing more than a charred corpse and a name on the list of his father's victims.
Uther sent Merlin back to the dungeons and confined Arthur to his chambers. That night though the very walls of Camelot shook and the sound of weeping was heard. Arthur never knew what else happened but the next morning his father looked weary, as if he had fought a great battle.
“Your Emrys does not have to stay in the dungeons,” he said, when he came into Arthur's chambers. “And you are free to go about your duties. Just remember what I said.”
“Yes, father.”
That night Arthur brought Merlin out of the dungeons to his rightful place in Arthur's chambers. The door had barely closed before Arthur grabbed him and the two celebrated their reunion. As Arthur moved in and out of Merlin's body, feeling privileged enough to be allowed to do this with him, he realised how he felt about this magical creature. He didn't whisper words of love but thought them and he knew Merlin heard him.
“Have you ever done this with anyone else?” Arthur asked, when they lay together afterwards.
“Only with you,” Merlin replied. He nuzzled Arthur gently. “My king.”
Arthur wasn't king for many more years. Eventually Uther grew old and weak and his time began to end. A subtle shift in power had occurred long before Uther even died. It was Arthur who led the knights out to fight. It was Arthur who saved villages and he did so with Merlin at his side. There was nothing Uther could do.
Still it hurt Arthur when the end finally came. Uther died peacefully in his sleep with Arthur by his bedside. Uther died a shadow of the man he used to be, leaving a legacy that Arthur began to change as the last breath left his father's body. The ban on magic was lifted the same moment as the announcement was made that that Arthur was the new king.
The night after his coronation Arthur was in his chambers with Merlin, who had been a solid support through a difficult time. Despite the fact the king would have him killed Merlin had harboured the king no malice. He knew how much his father meant to Arthur. Arthur didn't know what he would have done without him.
“I can have this removed now you know,” Arthur said, running a finger across Merlin's collar before kissing him.
Merlin shook his head. “I'm still yours,” he said.
“And I am yours,” Arthur replied. “I think I always have been.”
Merlin nodded. “We have always belonged to each other.”
That night magic began to return to the kingdom of Camelot and the stars began to shine more brightly. Across the land magic was waking up and joy was returning to dark places that had been without it so long. Yet magic was strongest in the king's chambers and in the hearts of the king and his Emrys.